A stroller is bulky. As a reclining stroller, it’s perfect for newborns, but it’s not as practical on public transportation or in the city. A stroller, on the other hand, has a slimmer design, is more maneuverable with its large wheels, and is more stable. When can your child come along?
Everything you need to know about the stroller can be found here.
Table of contents
Do I Need A Stroller?
In the first few weeks after the birth, you probably don’t feel like doing much exercise. But as soon as you have recovered from the birth, you will want to resume your morning jogs, perhaps meet up with friends in the afternoon for inline skating, or go for long walks in the mountains on the weekend.
While the stroller is comfortable for your child, it doesn’t push well at higher speeds. In addition, the stroller is often too wide in the city, does not fit through doorways, and is impractical in the crowds at the mall. A buggy with a reclining function or a stroller is the perfect solution for you.
The buggy is a sporty stroller in which your child sits rather than lies down. Therefore, it is more suitable for older children. Many buggies are equipped with three large instead of four small wheels, the single front wheel can be swiveled 360°. This makes you much more mobile and maneuverable with a baby carriage than with a stroller.
And buggies have another advantage: they have better suspension and are more stable. So you can also take your child in a buggy when you go jogging in the park, when you hike along country lanes or when you are walking on cobblestones in the historic city center.
From What Age Is Your Child Allowed In The Stroller?
A stroller is cheap and practical, but you should not use it from birth. Your child is better off in a sling and in your arms during the first weeks of life. If you do not want to carry your baby, you can use a normal stroller.
In this stroller your baby lies on a soft mattress, a warm blanket provides the right temperature. The stroller is spring-mounted, so that your child feels a gentle rocking during the walk.
Most babies fall asleep quickly, the rocking has a calming effect. The reclining shell of the stroller is usually about 40 cm wide and between 70 cm and 90 cm long. A canopy protects your baby from the sun and prying eyes.
Based on the dimensions it is already clear: The stroller is interesting in the first year of your child’s life, after that your child is too big for it. Most parents use the stroller even only six to eight months.
After all, modern strollers can be folded and stored in a space-saving way in a corner of the hallway or in the trunk. Nevertheless, the stroller is large and heavy. As long as your child does not sit alone and likes to sleep on the way, it is perfect for you.
In The Buggy With Reclining Function Your Child Can Also Sleep
As your baby gets older, he or she will eventually be able to sit. It lifts its head and wants to see the world. The closed stroller is boring now – it can’t look out of it. Buggies are more open.
Your child lounges in a half-lying, half-sitting position in the stroller, a five-point harness holds him securely in it. Footrests, a safety bar and side head protection make the stroller comfortable.
In a buggy with a reclining function, you can recline the backrest either continuously or in three to five stages. If your child falls asleep in the buggy, you can put him or her in a comfortable, reclining position.
This also protects your child’s back. Not every buggy has a reclining function. The very inexpensive models, which can be folded to the size of a slightly more massive umbrella, usually do not have this function.
Nevertheless, your child should only sit in a buggy with a reclining function when it can really sit independently. This is because your child needs back muscles in this buggy to keep it upright in the half-sitting position. The small spine is not yet as stable, and your child’s bones are still soft.
If the weight of your child rests on the spine for several hours, it becomes painful. This is why children often become grumpy after a while in the buggy. A buggy with a reclining function is an exception: if the children can lie down, the spine is relieved.
Nevertheless, babies under 6 months of age are usually still too small for these buggies; they would slip out of the harness.
By Definition, Every Buggy Is A Children’s Stroller
The children’s stroller is a sporty version of the baby carriage. Larger wheels, a sturdy but lightweight chassis, good suspension and a gentle position for the child characterize the children’s stroller. In addition, there are safety bars, harness and footrests.
Any stroller with a reclining function is a children’s stroller, and most other strollers can be called such as well. However, this does not mean that all buggies are suitable for sports. Of course, you can always buy a buggy cheap and use it for city trips, the short shopping trip or on a family vacation.
From about 20 euros you can find a very simply equipped buggy cheap in stores. But you should not consider these buggies as a long-term solution. The equipment is not sufficient for this.
Make sure that your children’s stroller meets the following expectations.
- Buggy should really be suitable for sports.
- Tires are air-filled and are not made of full plastic.
- The chassis should be stable enough on the road even for higher speeds when jogging or inline skating.
- The buggy has as low a center of gravity as possible and is accordingly difficult to tip over.
- The seat or reclining shell should be sufficiently sprung for your child.
- Harnesses must be individually adjustable and accordingly sit securely.
A children’s stroller that is reliable and safe even in rough terrain, has a stable road holding and offers your child the necessary safety, always has a higher weight than a simple buggy with reclining function. The children’s stroller is wider and larger, and it is also more expensive.
Special Equipment And Accessories On The Stroller
Also with the children’s stroller you should make sure that the handles have the right height for you. Even if the sporty carriages are usually not as finely adjustable as the handlebars on the stroller, the height should still be able to be adjusted to your body size.
If the handles are too low or too high, you will adopt an unnatural posture when jogging and change your gait accordingly. This will lead to permanent tension and pain, and you will not run as safely. The risk of stumbling increases.
The stroller should also have a sun canopy. Even if you’re going fast or only jogging for half an hour a day, direct sunlight is not good for your child’s skin. The risk of sunburn is too great. Not every stroller is equipped with a canopy, and for many models, you have to buy one separately.
A parasol cannot replace the hood. This is because the parasol dangles more or less loosely and unstably at the side of the stroller and poses a risk of injury on uneven ground. Always make sure you have the right sun protection for your baby.
You will probably be outside with your child for sports in mild temperatures. A mosquito net is therefore useful. The species of blood-sucking insects have changed in Germany in recent years, with mosquitoes migrating from southern countries and Asia.
And these mosquitoes transmit diseases that can be very unpleasant or even fatal. Therefore, you should protect your child in the stroller with a mosquito net. The nets are one size and are not supplied from the factory. However, they usually fit all buggies and strollers.
If you are also outside in cooler weather and/or rain for sports, you need the appropriate weather protection for your child. Warm footbags and a rain cover are useful and must be purchased separately from the stroller. The footbags are based on the size of your child, you will need a new size every winter. The rain cover, on the other hand, like the mosquito net, is only available in one size and should fit all buggies.
Quality Has Its Price
A high-quality children’s stroller will accompany you for several years. The buggies are usually designed for children up to five years. With such a long service life, it is worth investing a little more money.
When buying, make sure that your stroller is really safe. The materials should be safe for health. This is tested by consumer portals such as Stiftung Warentest and ÖKOTEST.
The TÜV, on the other hand, tests the safety of buggies: Is the chassis stable enough? Does the buggy rest securely on the ground, even at higher speeds? Do the parking brakes work and are the harnesses childproof?
The best children’s strollers also regularly receive awards. Test portals on the Internet help you compare the various models from different manufacturers.
